Saracens
Here we come a Was-SALE-ing
By Darraghgirl
December 14 2014
Ladies and Gentlemen, this year Saracens have decided, in the interests of economy, to combine their annual Community Carol Concert with the European Champions Cup game against Sale. So if you would all like to get your carol sheets ready, let’s begin.
In the Bleak midwinter
I rather like evening games under lights. There is Something Special about Allianz in the dark, floodlights shining (well glooming actually) and especially at Christmas. Tonight there were Perseid shooting stars overhead to add to the magic and mulled wine.
O Come all ye faithful
Apparently 7,561 turned up (in which case the capacity of Allianz is more like 15,000!). Sarries just made one change to the team which won in Salford last weekend with Charlie Hodgson dropping to the bench, Faz and Taylor shuffling across one place and Wyles coming in at outside centre. Sale were without Celebriani & Cusiter at half back and the influential Magnus Lund. The front row had a complete makeover and Braid and Hines were back to reinforce a powerful pack.
Rudolf with your nose so bright, won’t you guide my sleigh tonight
Some bright spark decided to begin proceedings with fireworks and red flares. It looked pretty but created a smog which engulfed the pitch for some minutes in the still air and referee Monsieur Garces had to wait a good while for the smoke to drift off far enough for the pitch to reappear!
Dropping around the Christmas Tree
The TMO was called into play almost at once, adjudging a high tackle from a fired up Kelly Brown was worth a penalty but no more. MacLeod missed touch but eventually Sale set up one of their trade-mark rolling mauls. It was defended but a promising Sarries attack ended in the first of many butter fingers when Billy spilled the ball.
Jingle bell, Jingle bell, Jingle bell drop……
However Garces was playing advantage and to great applause, Faz put the penalty in the corner. The inevitable maul ensued and after an eternity Wiggy finally got the ball out to Faz whose lovely looping pass found Ash with Strettle outside him and the line begging. Ash opted to give his fellow winger a Christmas gift with a lovely pass which should have seen him over for the first try. Alas Strettle uncharacteristically dropped the ball… how costly might that be?
Joy to the World
Undeterred Sarries kept the pressure up, surviving the first of Mr Garces rather strange ideas of a straight lineout. Sale put in a good scrum but Sarries managed an even better one, pushing Sale right off the ball for another penalty which Faz again pushed deep into the Sale 22. Stretts joined the ensuing maul which Sale pulled down illegally and finally after 13 minutes Sarries opened their account with a simple penalty which Faz thumped over the stand.
Ding Dong merrily on high
Sale enjoyed an enthusiastic period of attack but it went nowhere and eventually resulted in a Sarries’ penalty on half way which Farrell again kicked high over the sticks for a 6-0 lead. Then Stretts day got even worse when he came off worse from a clash of heads with Will Addison. Despite assuring everyone he was fine and wishing them a “Happy Easter” he departed for a concussion assessment never to return.
I saw three ships come Sale-ing in
Sale’s response was another concerted attack on Sarrie’s try line and this time Nathan Hinds found his way over a pile of bodies for the first try of the game. Nick MacLeod missed a tricky conversion leaving Sarries with a slender 1 point lead.
Goode rest ye merry gentlemen
Sarries upped their game somewhat. A series of penalties went into the 22. More trouble with lineouts which Mr Garces perceived as wonky. A knock on ended one promising attack and from another maul Taylor peeled off the back and headed for the corner but was just bundled into touch. It looked as if nothing was going to work until finally Wiggy managed to pop the ball out to Alex Goode who acrobatically avoided Ashton (who had been taken out off the ball) stayed in play and grounded the ball in the corner. Faz missed a tricky conversion but the first try was on the board. Sale kicked a penalty with the final play of the half giving Sarries a narrow 11-8 half-time lead.
Have yourself a Merry little Christmas
The interval saw a marriage proposal (thankfully she said “yes”) and an interview with the still gorgeous Thomas Castaignede (he can turn up in my Christmas stocking any day).
Wyles shepherds watched their flocks by night.
The second half started with a Sale attack and this time Sale were penalised for a wonky lineout. Eventually Kruis managed to steal a Sale lineout and set up a promising attack but Wyles’ ball for Ashton was just too strong and went into touch. Sarries kept pressing but this time Taylor’s pass was forward. Finally from a lineout, some lovely interplay between Faz and Taylor saw Ashton unmarked outside him and a certain try. Unfortunately Taylor must have been the only person on the pitch not to see Ash and the ball went the other way. Eventually Sarries’ reward was a penalty in front. 3 points instead of a valuable try.
O come O Come Emmanuel, and Ransom captive Israel
Sale brought on Joe Ford, brother of the more famous George, for Macleod and Burger was replaced by Wray. Finally Billy burst through the middle and got the ball out wide via Wyles to Ransom who wasn’t missing this one and scored in the corner. Faz landed a touch-line conversion and finally Sarries had a bit of clear water leading 21-8.
Jingle bells, Jingle bells, Jingle all the way, Oh what fun it is to watch a Sale lineout play!
Hamilton replaced Hargreaves and his first act was to steal a dangerous Sale lineout. For the next 10 minutes we had a sequence of Sale penalties, back in the same corner for a lineout followed by a rolling maul which collapsed or got pulled down. Some of the penalties looked somewhat dubious but Mr Garces was having none of it! On reflection we were probably lucky not to end up with a man in the bin but Garces settled for stern words with acting-skipper Kelly Brown.
I saw Mako kissing Santa Claus
Petrus du Plessis, and an exhausted Mako who had put in a superb stint, were replaced by Barrington and JJ, to some trepidation after the events of last week. However we should not have worried! JJ was instrumental in a huge scrum on a Sale put in which resulted in a Sarries’ penalty and a big Christmas cheer!
Billy, do(n’t) be a hero
So more than 10 minutes of Sale pressure had resulted in zilch. Finally Sarries got up into the Sale half. Barrington and Faz once again ignored Ashton (maybe he didn’t send anyone a Christmas card?) but finally Billy shrugged off the Sale defence and went over for the third try. Faz took a long time with the conversion which was successful but it was tries not points that we needed now. So with 5 minutes left, could we get that elusive bonus point try?
Driving home for Christmas
Charlie came on for Wyles and slipped into fly half. Immediately he set up an attack but when Ash finally got the ball in space he slipped. Wouldn’t you know it! And that was effectively that. Sale retained the ball, got up into the Sarries 22. Sharman, who had been on the pitch less than a minute, took a yellow for the team. Sale put the kick in the corner and drove over for a try. Ford took the full minute for the conversion (just like Faz last week) and that was that. The evening ended with fireworks – at least in the sky over Allianz Park.
All I want for Christmas
At the end of the day it probably won’t matter that we missed out on that 4th try. All we have to do is beat Munster and Clermont and we’re through! So Santa, if you are listening, we’ve all been very, very, very good boys and girls…..
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY!
Saracens:-
Goode, Ashton, Wyles (Hodgson), Taylor, Strettle (Ransom), Farrell, Wigglesworth (De Kock), M Vunipola (Barrington), George (Sharman), Du Plessis (Johnston), Kruis, Hargreaves (Hamilton), Brown, Burger (Wray), B Vunipola
Sale:-
Haley, Brady, Addison (Forsyth), Jennings, Cueto, MacLeod (Ford), Cliff (Fowles), Harrison (Lewis Roberts), Mamukashvili, Cobilas (Flynn), Hines (Mills), Ostrikov, Easter, Braid (Hughes), Beaumont
Saracens (28)
Tries: Goode, Ransom, Vunipola
Conversions: Farrell (2)
Penalties: Farrell (3)
Sale (15)
Tries: Hines, Lewis Roberts
Conversion: Ford
Penalties: MacLeod
Referee; Jerome Garces (France)
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Stumbleupon14/12/2014 16:50
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2014:12:21:16:46:02 by Darraghgirl.
~ You never knowingly let the facts get in the way of the story. ~
We can only hope that Friday (the 23rd) shall be our dancing day
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